Scarlet Eyes
by Lex Williams
Summary: In the small farming town of Cobdendale, a group of brave youngsters makes a stand again the fascist Coalition. Fortunately, they have a little help.
1. Chapter 1

**Scarlet Eyes**

**_A Rifts Story_**

by Alexis Williams

(Based on the Rifts Roleplaying Game, published by Palladium Books)

In a time long after the ultimate catastrophe, mankind struggled to reclaim an Earth that was forever changed.

The world of this time was one where technology allowed destruction on a grand scale, where magical energies flowed and surged across a savage wilderness, where creatures and beings came from dimensional rifts for good or evil. Where, to protect themselves and regain a foothold, some human beings have formed powerful alliances. Fanatical governments.

Ruthless coalitions.

CHAPTER ONE

The sign itself was enough to scare people away. It was a metal colossus that stood twenty-four feet tall and just as wide.

The symbol on it could be seen from a half-mile away. The stark image made its point without any confusion. It was similar to the symbol worn by all military units—a skull with an "X" of lightning bolts behind it—but slightly different. Every Coalition citizen knew from childhood the meaning of this emblem—with its particularly angry scowl, its distinctive scarlet color, and the lightning bolts that shot up through the eye sockets.

It signified that some place, object, or being was forbidden. Off-limits. Best ignored at all costs. Broaching that barrier would either put you in immediate danger, or it would be punishable by the law. Either way, to be on the wrong side of that sign meant certain death.

Tobias, Royd, and Mina stepped from behind the sign.

"Well that was a wonderful experience," Royd said sarcastically. Like the other two, he was in his mid-twenties and dressed for rugged traveling. "I can't believe I let you talk me into spending a whole day digging through these stupid ruins."

Mina chirped in optimistically. "_I _thought it was pretty interesting."

"I don't care about 'interesting'," he countered. "I care about _rewarding_." The three made their way through the forest. Here and there, remnants of the town that it used to be still showed: parts of buildings, patches of paved ground, the husk of an automobile. The forest had struggled hard to reclaim the area and had already passed the decisive point.

Royd, walking behind the other two, continued in a mocking tone. "'A great university in the Time of Man,' Toby told us. 'A vast center of learning and knowledge. We're sure to find many cool secrets,' he said. Well where are they?"

"Right here," Tobias answered confidently, holding up a bound volume. "We found an actual Pre-Rifts book. It's a stupendous find."

"That is not a book." Royd turned his face upward. "Is it me? Maybe I'm not seeing this clearly. Mina, what does the cover of that thing say?"

The woman grinned a bit. "It says 'JC Penny Spring/Summer Catalog'."

"Right," Royd said. "And what's in it?"

Mina couldn't help but find the whole thing amusing. "It appears to be various items for sale."

"And can _we_ purchase any of these items?"

"Well, no," she answered.

"And why not?" he continued relentlessly.

"Um, because we don't have a mailing address?" she ventured.

"Yes. And what else?"

"Uh. Because this JC Penny thing was probably vaporized hundreds of years ago?"

"Exactly!" Royd exclaimed. "So you can see why I'm not so thrilled about our 'stupendous find'."

The three reached a sizeable all-terrain truck. Tobias, speaking patiently, keyed the sequence to unlock it. "As usual, Royd, you have missed the point. I guess when we came out here to look for secrets, you hoped for a manual on ancient fighting techniques or blueprints for a super-vehicle. But you should've known that the Coalition would've destroyed all that. But they missed this," he said, gazing bright-eyed at the tattered catalog. "And a good thing, too. In this book are millions of clues about the Time of Man. What luxuries were available to the average citizen of the American Empire? What was their level of technology? What sizes of clothing did they wear? And by looking at the prices, we can see the relative values of all the items. In fact, this will provide me with vital knowledge for one of my pet projects: figuring out the currency system of their _dollars_—how much they earned and spent. It's terribly fascinating."

They all climbed into the vehicle, Royd slumping in the back seat. He spoke with some degree of disbelief. "Let me get this straight: You're trying to figure out the currency structure for a dead civilization?"

"Yes," Tobias turned toward him from the driver's seat.

Royd looked him in the eye and asked, "Why?"

The scholar smiled and said, "Because . . ." He appeared a bit surprised that he didn't have an answer. "Because I have to." He nodded at that. "Because I can't imagine _not_ doing it. The same way that Mina has to study magic. The same way that you have to annoy people."

"Thanks," Royd said with raised eyebrow.

Tobias turned around and started the engine. "So now you understand, right?"

"Yeah, sure." He laid back and closed his eyes, relaxing his muscular frame. "Though I would've rather found a book on how to choose better friends."

The truck moved steadily through the rest of the forest, then made its way back toward the town of Cobdendale. The three of them became suddenly alert when they heard what sounded like continuous rolling thunder. Tobias stopped the vehicle, and they stepped outside.

Royd said, "It's coming from straight ahead. From the town."

Mina said, "I don't sense any magic."

"Get in," Tobias said urgently. "Let's see what it is."

* * *

The town of Cobdendale consisted of only a few dozen houses, a small tavern, a flour mill, and a blacksmith shop. The only public official was the magistrate, who also ran the general store. Bill Turner was a stout man who—despite his many duties—spent the bulk of his time sitting down. Year-round, he always had a piece of straw between his lips, sticking out from underneath his massive mustache.

Springtime was the busiest time for his store, but as he sat behind the counter, he seemed unfazed by all the activity. About a dozen people were roaming around his aisles selecting merchandise.

He eyed two of them. They were strangers—which basically meant that he didn't know them when they were born. Added to that was the fact that when the two youngsters had arrived in the town about a year ago, it was in a rather unusual manner. The two of them had simply emerged from the forest one day, gaunt, ragged, and fearful. The town was shocked to learn that they had been wandering the wilderness alone for three years.

Now they lived with Widow Green, helping her to run her farm. The boy hefted a bag of seed onto his shoulder. He was in his mid-teens and still skinny. It was obvious that his older sister kept him in line. His hair was trimmed neatly, and his denim and flannel clothes were clean and well-patched. He took the bag out to his wheel barrow while his sister approached the counter.

"How much will that be, Mr. Turner?" she said. She was a rugged, but pretty girl who mostly kept to herself. Her hair was always tied in the back, and she rarely smiled.

He gave her the price and she started counting out the Coalition currency. She paused. "Oh, one more thing. Mrs. Green needs another bottle of that ointment for her arthritis."

Turner said, "Sorry, miss. We're all out of that."

The boy returned as Sonia said, "Mrs. Green told us the merchant who supplied you always came in the spring."

"Yes, well," Turner said, annoyed that he had to explain this to yet another disappointed customer. "I heard he was picked up by a security patrol. Apparently he was selling some things he shouldn'ta been." He instinctively leaned forward and spoke just above a whisper. "Magic items."

The boy's eyes flared. "This is ridiculous! Now where are we supposed to get that ointment?"

Turner held up a placating hand. "Look, I submitted a request with the Procurement Office. I'm sure we'll get it eventually."

"No we won't," the boy said angrily. "The government doesn't care about this town. That's why we had to get it from the merchant in the first place. I am so tired of this."

Turner had no patience for the boy's attitude. "Look, son, you just have to learn to accept things. The law is the law—and it's there for your protection. Sometimes it might be a little inconvenient, but that's just life. There's nothing we can do. "

The boy looked like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue. A hint of a smile crossed his lips. "No. I guess there isn't."

The two siblings left the store and loaded up two wheel barrows. One contained two sacks of seeds and the tools they'd bought. The other was piled high with fertilizer.

As the pungent odor filled his nostrils, Nikolai said, "You know, these seeds are pretty heavy. I think I'd better take them."

Sonia was nineteen years old, three years his senior, and she was the one accustomed to giving directions. She smiled, tousling his hair, then stepped over to the one with the smelly fertilizer.

A few dozen other people milled about the tiny town. The warming spring day nurtured the general sense of optimism that the season usually brought. Most of the townsfolk busied themselves planting their vegetable gardens. Farmers from the surrounding area picked up their supplies to start their crops.

Nikolai liked this town, and reflected on that as he lifted the handles of the wheel barrow. But he would've liked it even better if it was free of the Coalition.

As the two siblings started for home, Nikolai lagged a little, thinking about that poor merchant, and the town's loss of a supplier. All because the Coalition didn't like magic. Nikolai had spent his childhood far from the Coalition. He remembered growing up with all kinds of people that the Coalition wouldn't have liked. He was shocked to find things so different here, but happy to have found a few like-minded youngsters.

Thinking of them, his eyes were drawn toward the flour mill, where his compatriots in the secret Cobdendale Liberation Front tended to hang out. Suddenly, he saw Jon, their leader, emerge from behind the building.

Nikolai called to him. Jon looked up and waved him over. Nikolai put down the barrow and headed that way.

"Hey," Sonia called after him. "This is not the time to hang out with your friends. Mrs. Green wants these planted today."

He turned back without stopping, putting on his best pleading face. "I'll be right there. Just give me ten minutes. I promise."

She sighed. "All right. Ten minutes, and I mean it." She continued her journey, leaving one of the barrows.

Jon ushered Nikolai into the building, whose walls were solidly built of gray brick. He shut the oak door and sealed it with the crossbar. Nikolai wondered why he was being so cautious, as there didn't seem to be a Liberation Front meeting going on.

Jon lit an oil lamp, illuminating a corner of the mill. He was a couple of years older than Sonia, which, as far Nikolai was concerned, made him that much smarter. His intense hazel eyes were set in a rugged, intelligent, light-brown face, topped by a pate of dark, unruly curls.

He pulled something out of his bag. "Take a look at this. One of the travelers loaned it to me this morning. Tobias said that when they get back from exploring the ruins today, he's going to teach me how to use it."

Nikolai gazed at the object. It consisted of two eight-inch-square pieces of cardboard with paper in between. On the cover was a picture of two children dancing with strange symbols. Nikolai said, "What is it?"

Jon stared down with wonder. "It's a book. Tobias says that it teaches people how to read." He opened it to the first page. More children dancing. He flipped to the second. There was a picture of an apple and some letters. Jon pointed to a word. "That's the writing for the word 'apple'. It starts with this letter." He looked up at Nikolai to find him frowning. "Don't you see what this means? What we can do with this?"

Nikolai thought for a moment. "Uh, no."

Jon grasped the book in both hands and spoke excitedly. "Once we learn to read, we'll have all kinds of power. We'll be able to read technical manuals to figure out how to fix our own machines. We won't need the Coalition. And we can build new things. And we'll be able to communicate better, and organize. And—" He stopped, noticing that his companion was distractedly staring at the north wall. "What is it?"

Nikolai whispered, "Listen."

By then it was clearly audible, a low, rolling rumble. Growing.

Jon put the book down and unlatched the door. They stepped out into the sun and could see other townspeople staring toward the northern skies. The sound grew into a loud roar. Nikolai could feel the building starting to vibrate. They had to cover their ears as the sound developed into a mighty thunder that made it seem like the heavens were about to fall down upon them.

Then suddenly, they were there. Two massive, black transports—whose bows were faces of death—streaked overhead and circled the town.

Nikolai could see that they were approaching for a landing. His mouth was suddenly very, very dry.

* * *

Craig felt the Death's Head Transport bank slightly. They would probably be landing soon. Excitement filled him as he did a final check on the systems in his SAMAS. He loved that machine. More than being just a suit of power armor, it was the symbol of frontier power.

Though according to the information he'd gotten from Sergeant Spike, he probably wouldn't be putting it to great use on this mission.

He looked over towards the Sergeant. He had a group of soldiers hanging on his every word as he related one of his many combat adventures. Craig's impatience was almost palpable. He wanted desperately to be where Spike was, to have participated in deadly battles with the most terrifying enemies. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that his time would come. He just hoped it wouldn't take too long.

He had honed his body into a husky fighting machine. He kept his head shaven because it made him look more intimidating. He had the look. But he still needed the stories.

As he magnetically resealed the casing to the lateral maneuvering jet, he noticed the men near the front of the compartment quieting down. The officer in charge must've finally decided to brief them. He quickly put away his tools and moved toward the front of the crowd.

The officer, a Captain Selby, stepped onto a small platform at the head of a crowd of over a hundred armored soldiers, who were standing at attention. "Men," he said, the acoustics of the bay carrying his voice well. "We're within the perimeter of Cobdendale. As I'm sure most of you know, this is an order-maintaining mission. It's important that we go in with the right attitude. We don't want to destroy civilians or their property. We only want to make a show of force to remind them that they are part of the Coalition States, and thus under our protection . . . and our laws."

Selby paused for a moment. "There are, however, a few cleansing tasks that we'll be performing. Our intelligence reports indicate that a small group of rebels has sprouted up in Cobdendale. Once we've isolated them, they will, of course, be publicly executed."

Some of the soldiers in the ranks muttered their approval of the plan and their desire to carry it out. Even though Selby wasn't orating with very much gusto, it didn't take a lot to rouse most soldiers.

Selby continued drily, "We also have information that these dissidents are harboring dangerous rogues, like scholars and practitioners of magic. We are to rid this territory of their evil influence." More murmurs of agreement from the ranks, various fists clenching.

"Here are your orders," he said. "Upon landing, Squadron Six will launch. These sky cycles will patrol the perimeter of the area to prevent any offenders from escaping into the wilderness.

"Both Death's Heads will land in the central park area. All units, except Unit Twenty-five, will begin an orderly march through the town. Your platoon leaders have the assigned routes. Unit Twenty-five will remain to guard the Death's Heads in the park, which will serve as our temporary base. Any questions?"

"Yes, sir." Craig raised his hand and was acknowledged by the captain. "Sir, if we should come across any rogues on our patrol, are they considered to be on the Immediate Kill List?"

"No," Selby answered. "We'd like to question them first. For now, the Immediate Kill list includes only cyber knights, psychics, and users of magic. Kill normal rogues only if they pose an immediate threat. Any other questions?" Pause. "Good. Dismissed. And make your families back home proud."

Captain Selby stepped from the platform and headed back into the cockpit. Craig returned to his SAMAS and started to suit up. He silently prayed to the Emperor that he would find someone dangerous in that town, someone who could be the subject of his first great battle story. He had so much firepower. It was such a shame not to use it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Scarlet Eyes**

**_A Rifts Story_**

by Alexis Williams

(Based on the Rifts Roleplaying Game, published by Palladium Books)

CHAPTER TWO

The people of Cobdendale were nervous.

They liked being a protectorate of the Coalition States, but they didn't like to see their protectors more than was absolutely necessary. The menacing, skull-shaped helmets and vehicles. The shiny, ebon armor, bristling with enormous, destructive weapons. These were things the rural townspeople didn't prefer to have marched around their homes and children. Even now, two Enforcer robots, as tall as two-story buildings, were leaving huge footprints all over the snow-softened earth. Two hideous spider-skull walkers had already picked their way through the town and headed off toward the surrounding farms.

The townspeople were used to visits by the military, but not like this. Every October, a comparatively small administrative detachment would visit, update the census files, load up the town's taxes of produce and livestock, and depart efficiently. The only time the townsfolk would see a fighting force was if they summoned them on their official emergency communicator.

But there were no threats to the town today. And it wasn't October.

The citizens knew the routine. After the landing, they had begun to assemble in the park around the transports. People from the surrounding farms would take a little longer to arrive, but they knew not to dally. The soldiers had set up a table, in front of which the citizens were queuing, ready to present their identity papers.

While most people were puzzled, only nine of them were experiencing extreme anxiety. They were the members of the Cobdendale Liberation Front. They had only started meeting six months earlier.

And then this.

For Jon, this was too much of a coincidence. He stepped up to the table, behind which sat a corporal. Jon had made sure that he was first in line. He didn't want to waste any time finding out what was going on. He handed his card to the soldier, who inserted it into a small computer.

The corporal looked up at him. "Anything to report?" he said.

It was the standard question, but Jon searched his face for any signs of a hidden meaning. He could find none. He said, "No, sir."

The soldier pressed a button on the computer, the identification card popping out. He handed it to Jon. "Next."

Jon stepped away, having gained no insight on the situation. He took up a position nearby and listened for any further clues.

He scoped out the force itself. The armor and weaponry held by the military was indeed intimidating. This troubled him a little, knowing that someday the Front would probably be facing the nasty end of those weapons. But whenever that time came, they would be ready for them with technology and magic and whatever else they could marshal. They would face the Coalition's lackeys, and they would drive them out for good.

But that time was far away. All nine members of the Front were Jon's age or younger, and would have to spend years training. But they were off to a good start. The traveler Tobias and his two friends had already agreed to teach them a few things during their stay.

Jon thought about the wanderers. Was the military here for them? He hoped they would stay out at the ruins until the army left. If not, there would be nothing the Front could do to protect them.

After observing things for half an hour, Jon still couldn't tell what they were after. They were difficult to read. Only a few of them had exposed faces. The highest-ranking one he could see was a captain. His expression was one of boredom. The officer sighed and checked his watch. He leaned against one of the transports, his eyes half-closed.

Jon turned away from him and checked on the other members of the Front. They were wary, but calm. Frederick helped his grandmother move forward in line. Tina was trying to reign in her young cousins, who were running around trying to get a closer look at the soldiers. Jon smiled. He loved their curiosity. It was for them that the Front must someday succeed. So that they might live in a society that didn't outlaw so many kinds of learning.

Jon looked over at the newcomer Nikolai, who was protectively guarding his wheel barrows of farming supplies and his sister, Sonia. They had already passed the check, their second one since arriving in the town the previous year.

Jon regretted that Sonia had shown no interest in discussing the political situation—so he had learned during his subtle, but futile attempts to start recruiting her. And he was even more disappointed when she showed no interest in him as a man. She was beautiful and tough. Jon admired the way she'd protected her younger brother on their lonely trek through the wilderness after the two were orphaned in their homeland. There was really no equal of her in the community. Jon hoped that she would change her mind eventually.

As he watched, one of the soldiers approached the siblings. Jon grew alarmed. Would this be the first sign of trouble? Was the army after the newcomers?

With as much forced casualness as possible, he meandered toward them.

* * *

"We've been spotted," Mina said to the others. "Sky cycle at five o'clock."

Royd flicked a switch on a plasma rifle. The soft whine of the weapon coming to life was a lullaby to him. Mina had already popped the sunroof for him. He said, "I'll be right back, kiddies." He shoved a helmet onto his head. He superstitiously ran his finger along the scar on his cheek, then stood up through the hatch, spitting fire.

Tobias glanced at him. "Well at least he got to have _some_ fun today." He turned the wheel sharply to stay on the narrow road. What was left of the ancient four-lane street was only a crumbled strip about five feet wide. Foliage pressed against the sides of the truck as they sped past. There were no turn-offs apparent.

Mina said, "We don't, by any chance, have a plan, do we?"

Tobias said, "Great idea. I nominate you for the plan development committee."

"Thanks so much." Mina rolled down the window while whispering a shield spell, then stuck her head out. She saw Royd exchanging fire with the sky cycle, which was having no trouble following them. She could feel the heat coming off the scorched roof. If it hadn't been reinforced with armor, it would've been destroyed with the first shot. Still, she didn't like to think about what would happen if it took a couple more hits.

She thought hard about a plan. She knew her destructive powers were no match for the cycle's armor. But perhaps their attacker wouldn't need to be destroyed.

She surveyed the skies and summoned the magic energies that permeated the ether.

After a moment, a thunderclap resounded and a point in the air a hundred yards ahead of them suddenly blazed and split. A giant rift opened up, spewing forth an unending horde of Xiticix. The vaguely humanoid insect army made a straight line toward the sky cycle.

The pilot's full attention was on the sudden event. He seemed to quickly forget about Royd, grabbing his controls with urgency and diving in a tight swoop. A moment later, his jets fired loudly, propelling him rapidly in the opposite direction.

The Xiticix pursued him for awhile, until Mina reached the edge of her range and allowed the illusion to dissipate.

Royd sat back down and peeled off his helmet. Mina smiled at him as he quietly shut down his rifle and put it away. Finally, he leaned back as if to take a nap, but not before muttering, "Smart aleck."

Tobias drove for another couple of miles, coming to an area of hills, caves, and immense boulders. He pulled over into a secluded spot. "So," he said, rubbing his lightly bearded face. "What now? Do we go on to town or get the hell out of here?"

Mina said, "That depends on why the army is actually here."

Royd's eyebrows knitted. "Well I assumed they had come here for us."

"I don't know," Tobias said thoughtfully. "If they were looking for _us_, they wouldn't have sent out a lone sky cycle. Our reputation is a bit better than that."

Royd said, "I suppose that did look more like a perimeter patrol. As if they were just trying to make sure nobody left town."

Mina frowned. "You don't think they're after the Liberation Front, do you? They're just a bunch of kids. They're hardly a threat yet."

Tobias sighed. "That's never stopped the Coalition before."

"The truth is," Mina said quietly. "We just don't know why they're here."

After a moment of silence, soft breezes rustling the trees, tiny sunbeams dancing on the dented hood, they all knew what they had to do.

They were going to find out.

* * *

Nikolai steeled himself as he watched the armored soldier approach him and his sister. If there was trouble, he would be ready. His sister had the same calmness that she always possessed.

The soldier held a computer pad of some kind. He glanced at it as he reached them. His voice was tinny, apparently amplified. He said, "Sonia and Nikolai Korpanoff?"

The boy stepped forward protectively. "That's us. Why?"

"You are dismissed." He waved them off. "Gather your belongings and return home. Immediately. You have two minutes to leave." He turned and walked away.

Nikolai stood confused, until his sister pulled him by the arm. She spoke with her usual authoritativeness. "Grab that barrow. C'mon, let's go."

"But—" He complied reluctantly. "I don't get it." He didn't see anybody else being sent home. Already suspicious of anything the government did, he just knew that this was part of some malevolent plan.

With her usual practicality, Sonia said, "Just be grateful and come on." She was moving, and he heeded her instructions.

But something was very wrong.

* * *

Captain Owen Selby leaned against the transport and watched the populace of Cobdendale being herded and processed. It wouldn't be long now before the drama unfolded. Everything would go according to schedule. It always did.

Which meant that he'd have to hurry. He would only have a little time to try to put his conscience to sleep. Half a bottle should do it.

Moments later, he sealed the door to his ready room behind him and pulled a hidden flask of Scotch from his boot. He hated the taste, but it did its job.

He collapsed in a chair and tried not to think.

Owen Selby was a young man, but his face sagged. He had dark rings under his eyes, and felt tired pretty much all the time. His brown hair was dry and brittle. His uniform always a bit wrinkled.

He couldn't help feeling old, that his life was pretty much over. Eventually, he hoped, he would learn to cope with his fate, and he might not need to lean on the alcohol so much.

But not today.

He was only halfway through his intended consumption when the communicator in his collar chirped. "Captain Selby, you're needed in Tactical."

"On my way." He sighed, took a final gulp, and left.

Upon arrival in the tactical analysis room, he was greeted by an eager lieutenant, who briefed him on some encounter one of the sky cycles had had.

"Obviously, sir," said the lieutenant. "At least one of the travelers is a mage or a psionic." He pointed to a video screen. "When the pilot turned to run, he switched on his rear scanners, so he could see his pursuers. Fortunately, he was scared enough to hit the recording button accidentally."

Owen watched the screen. It was an area above a forest. A vehicle was traveling along a narrow road in the opposite direction of the sky cycle.

The lieutenant narrated. "This is where the pilot said he saw the rift open up. Then a horde of Xiticix flew out and attacked him. He estimated thousands."

Owen could clearly see that there was no such thing on the screen. The pilot, under the thrall of magic, however, would've seen the aliens there. Selby said, "Have you identified the illegals?"

"We're processing their images now." The junior officer pressed some keys on a panel, then touched the video screen. Soon, Owen was seeing a close-up of the vehicle. One armored man was standing through the sunroof firing a plasma rifle. A woman stuck her head out of the passenger side. After a few seconds, the computer enhanced the picture well enough to make out her features.

That was when Owen Selby's world turned inside-out.

The lieutenant rambled something that he couldn't hear. Owen struggled to keep his face impassive. Inside his body, his blood flow had reversed itself.

_Mina._

Feeling dizzy, he had to take a deep breath and turn away.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

Owen composed himself quickly. "No. What were you saying?"

"I was wondering if you want me to redirect units to that area."

Owen thought for a moment. He wasn't sure what to do. He needed time to think. "Yes. See to it. But, um—"

"Yes, sir?"

He spoke with as much confidence as he could. "I'm suspending the Immediate Kill List. I want them all captured alive."

The lieutenant looked confused for a moment, then hurriedly nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."

"Good. I'll be in my ready room." Selby left, focusing on walking calmly. He couldn't believe this unexpected turn of events. Fate was finally offering him a chance.

A single chance to undo the mistakes of the past.

A single chance for redemption.

* * *

Jon sat brooding on the dull, yellowed grass that spring had yet to revive.

Different parts of his psyche battled for dominance. The part of him that believed in the innate good of people wrestled with the part that knew the twisted evil of the enemy.

On seeing the soldier approach Nikolai and Sonia, Jon had moved toward them to offer whatever help they might need. But before he'd reached them, the soldier had finished and departed.

That was when things turned strange. Jon had watched as Nikolai and Sonia picked up their supplies and left the square, apparently headed home. But why would the army send them away? Why wouldn't they be included in whatever the army was about to do?

Jon pondered this question hard, but only one answer made sense.

And his heart grew black to consider it.

* * *

Owen Selby studied the Coalition officer in the mirror. He could not see the regret. Or the bitterness. Or the desperation.

He could not see the treachery, and the plans that were forming. Nor the glimmer of hope that had been awakened by the presence of Mina.

With luck and caution, no one else would see it either.

He secured his hat in place and left to carry out his duty. But the new hope had made this duty even more sour. Yesterday, this would have been just another unfortunate chore. Today, knowing that she was near, that she would probably know of it . . . it contained the potential for an awful tragedy. It could very possibly destroy his last hope for escape.

But he had to do it. He could only pray that she would understand.

He silently cursed Colonel Hodges, the commander of this mission, on whose shoulders this task was supposed to fall. But the colonel wasn't good at public speaking. He tended to sweat and stutter, ruining the effect of omnipotence the Coalition liked to project. So Selby, as second in command, was required to perform the duty. Everyone considered it a lucky honor—except Owen.

He stepped out of the vehicle. The breeze seemed to disappear. A loudspeaker sounded a simulated bugle's call-to-attention. The eyes of the townspeople turned to him.

Owen activated the communicator in his collar and cleared his throat. He read from a pad, his voice amplified across the park.

"The following citizens will stand." He read the names of the eight members of the rebel group. They slowly rose. "You are hereby accused of sedition and conspiracy to treason, in the formation and meetings of the so-called Cobdendale Liberation Front. How do you plead?"

They looked at each other. One, a brown-skinned young man with curly hair, took a step forward, several soldiers tensing. The man gazed at Selby, at the silent colonel who stood nearby, then at the townspeople, who watched him anxiously.

The rebel leader's rapid words addressed the people. "What kind of government outlaws the honest discussions of its citizens?"

One armored soldier strode toward him.

"A corrupt and oppressive one!" Jon stood his ground. "They are more concerned with power and control than on protecting you. They—"

A backhanded blow knocked Jon several yards away to land hard. As he recovered himself, the guard stepped over and picked him up by the throat and carried the gasping man over to Captain Selby.

Owen forced himself to continue. "It shall be recorded that the accused has admitted his guilt and implicated his accomplices. The penalty for these crimes is death. All the accused persons will step forward."

The remaining seven—frightened, some with heads bowed, some with tears streaming— moved with great deliberation toward the front. Wails could be heard from some of the townspeople.

The eight were formed up in a line. An equal number of fully-armored soldiers took their places opposite them, each carrying a low-damage ballistic rifle. These specially-made weapons were useless for actual modern combat, but were perfect for executions, when one wanted intact corpses.

Owen Selby barked the orders to carry out the Emperor's sentence.

* * *

Sweating and out of breath, three figures raced over a hillock and took cover behind the flour mill. Royd unclipped a pair of binoculars and leaned around a corner.

"Well?" Tobias asked impatiently.

"Lotta bad guys," Royd answered. "Uh-oh. They've got the Liberation Front. And those are . . . execution rifles."

"We've got to do something," Mina urged.

"Like what?" Tobias said.

"Same thing we always do." She peered around the wall. "Make trouble."

* * *

Owen's command to fire was interrupted by an earth-shearing thunderclap. Then a cloud of smoke seemed to erupt from nowhere, engulfing the prisoners and their executioners.

A smile of relief spread across the officer's face. He looked around for Mina, but didn't see her.

The prisoners dove for cover and scattered. Despite that, Owen would have to move quickly to keep them from getting shot. He yelled for the soldiers' attention and ordered them to search for the magic-user at the other end of the park. "And remember," he added. "I want them alive!"

Something exploded nearby. Owen grabbed three infantrymen and told them to take the colonel inside, further lowering the number of troops available to chase the prisoners.

Then he ran off to secure a weapon and armor for himself. Somehow, he would find Mina.

And everything would be all right.

* * *

Bill Turner had never seen such chaos. He stood frozen in a crowd of townspeople, watching it unfold. One moment, eight kids were about to get shot for some kind of treason; then, after an enormous thunderclap, soldiers were scattering, while a thick cloud of dark, odorless smoke spread across the park.

Then he realized that several soldiers were shouting at the crowd of townspeople. They were ordered to lie down on the ground. His wife was grabbing his hand and pulling him closer. He looked up to see the widow Green kneeling slowly. Her arthritis must've been making it difficult to move. An armored soldier helped her by shoving her to the ground.

Bill Turner put his cheek to the moist grass and squeezed his wife's hand.

There was nothing he could do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Scarlet Eyes**

**_A Rifts Story_**

by Alexis Williams

(Based on the Rifts Roleplaying Game, published by Palladium Books)

CHAPTER THREE

Nikolai tightened the harness around the mule, hardly paying attention to what he was doing. He glanced once again in the direction of the town. Above the furthest hills, the sun was nearing the horizon.

The mule snorted. Nikolai stroked its neck, procrastinating the plowing that awaited him. He just couldn't stop thinking about his friends and what could be happening and why he had been sent away.

An echoing sound made him turn toward the town again. Slowly, he identified it. A horse in full gallop on the dirt road. Approaching.

He left the mule and went to the front gate. His heart leapt to see who it was. Jon was racing toward him as if his life depended on it. Nikolai waved at him, then watched his friend draw up to him and leap off the horse before it had fully stopped. Jon then grabbed him, knocking him into the gate, and punched him in the gut.

Nikolai went down. A gunshot hit the fence post, splintering it.

Jon stopped mid-swing as Sonia, shotgun leveled at him, stepped down from the porch. "Get out of here. Now!"

He stood straight. "I should have known you would protect your traitorous brother. You probably don't even care what a snake he is."

She pulled the lever to chamber another round. "I said, leave."

"Wait," Nikolai struggled to his feet. "What's going on? Jon, why are you doing this?"

Sonia came closer. "It doesn't matter. I want—"

"It _does_ matter," her brother interrupted her. He turned to Jon. "Explain. Please."

The young revolutionary glared at him. "I probably won't live to see another day because of you. I came to make sure you don't, either. How dare you betray us!"

Sonia said, "My brother did not betray you. He would never do that. You've obviously made a mistake."

Jon was incredulous. "Well it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. They came for us. They knew our names! Only nine people had that information. Only nine people even know we exist. And only one of those was sent home before the execution." His eyes bore into Nikolai.

Nikolai had to admit that the evidence against him was compelling. But how could it be so? Nikolai knew he hadn't turned in the Front. It was the last thing he would ever have done. But he couldn't argue the fact that he and his sister had been sent home before the arrests. _They knew us, _he thought._ The only reason they would've spared us if I _had_ turned in the Front._

Then, the answer he sought slipped lightly into his head. It quickly became an unwelcome guest. Because that answer led to only one other person.

But it was impossible. The answer couldn't possibly be betrayal by his trusted sister. Something else had to be true. He had never even considered keeping the Front a secret from her—they had been through too much together. And he'd been so sure that she would've wanted to join up.

But she hadn't joined up.

Even so, it was inconceivable that she would've given his information to the army. It didn't make any sense.

He turned slowly toward Sonia, his eyes confused, almost pleading for her to give him some other explanation.

The three stood silent for a long moment. Eventually, Sonia breathed out slowly and lowered the shotgun. "All-right. Yes." She swallowed. "I called them."

Jon said, "You? But, why?"

She took a step forward. "I've protected my brother for too long to let him get caught up in your crazy dreams of taking on the Coalition." She spoke with quiet strength. "I won't see him die because of your insanity."

Jon couldn't believe the sudden truth. How could he have misjudged her so? He stared hard at her. Her eyes were intelligent, even kind—but filled with fearful conviction. He said, "You didn't think we could've won." His gaze sank to the ground. "And so you've killed us. Before we even had a chance to try."

"You'll forgive me," she said. "If I don't choose to live in your fairy-tale world. I live in the real world. Where people die. Where creatures tear your parents to pieces right in front of you. Where staying alive can't be taken for granted." Her eyes were shiny with moisture. "Look, I'm sorry I had to do this to you. But in time you'll come to agree. The reeducation centers—"

"You don't get it, do you?" Jon looked at her with disbelieving eyes. "They're not _arresting_ us. They—" The revolutionary seemed at a loss for words. He gazed at her for a long time.

Finally, he turned and mounted the horse, casting a final glance at his friend. "You chose the wrong person to trust, Nikolai. Too bad we'll all have to pay for it." Then, to Sonia, he smiled sardonically. "I hope you enjoy your survival."

He spurred the horse and galloped away.

After his friend disappeared around a bend, Nikolai's legs gave way, and he sat hard on the ground.

He could hear his sister's voice. "I had to do it, Nicky. Those people would've been the death of you."

"Leave me," he uttered.

"Nicky, you have to understand—"

"I said, _leave me!_"

She slowly backed away and returned to the house.

* * *

Owen Selby walked briskly toward the spider-skull walker that he'd ordered to stand down. The disappointed and confused crew of two had just climbed out of the machine and were headed toward him, when Owen noticed another man—the armed traveler he'd seen in the video with Mina—sneak into the machine, which quickly came to life. 

The crew noticed this and turned around to investigate, only to find their trusted vehicle firing at them. They were struck down immediately.

Owen retreated as the walker launched a couple of smoke grenades into the area and sprang off toward the Enforcer guarding the park.

* * *

Royd was thrilled with his luck. Now that he had his own spider-skull walker, the odds of staying alive improved substantially.

That is, if this Enforcer didn't cream him. The Enforcer was a two-story tall robot vehicle roughly in the shape of a man. At thirty feet, the spider walker stood higher, but most of that was the legs. The not-exactly-precisely-named spider walkers consisted of a pilot compartment shaped like a skull mounted on six agile limbs. Two large rail guns protruded from the sides of the head.

He knew it wouldn't be long before someone informed the Enforcer pilot that the spider was being controlled by the enemy, so he charged him as quickly as he could.

It had been a while since Royd had piloted a robot, but he was pleased to find his instincts clicking into place smoothly. He quickly ran his finger down the length of the scar that ran from his left temple to his chin. This was one fight where he couldn't afford any bad luck.

He grabbed the firing stick and loosed a volley of lasers at the Enforcer, who didn't seem very put-off by it. He brought the rail guns online and targeted the robot.

Suddenly, two smoke trails erupted from the Enforcer's left shoulder. Royd knew there were missiles headed straight for him, but he had his shot nearly lined up. Keeping his cool, he fired the rail guns, then scrambled out of the way as fast as possible.

Both approaching missiles hit the ground near Royd's walker, one explosion snapping off half of one of its rear legs. But his rail guns struck true, right in the head of the Enforcer, smashing it to pieces. The concussive force knocked the robot backward about fifty feet and right into the gray brick flour mill, collapsing the structure. The robot didn't get up.

Royd lowered the body of the walker and popped the hatch. In the renewed smoke and confusion, he managed to gather two more fugitive Front-members into the walker before skittering off toward the countryside. Royd decided that the day was turning out quite nicely.

* * *

Being a scholar anywhere near the Coalition States was a hazardous career. Knowledge being an important weapon in the Emperor's iron-handed control, he declared all scholars to be rogues, and continually sent his men to hunt them with probably greater zeal than they did predatory creatures from the rifts. So a good scholar is as practiced in the arts of self-defense as he is in reading and writing. 

Tobias led a small band of refugees down an irrigation ditch, instructing them all to keep low in the gathering darkness. In the confusion of the sudden battle, he and Mina had managed to rescue three members of the Liberation Front, grab the family members that they refused to leave without, and make for the countryside.

Tobias surveyed the area quickly, finding a tool shed that could give them some cover from the sky cycles that were certainly combing the area for them. He signaled to the others behind him to follow as he climbed out of the ditch. The eight of them—with Mina bringing up the rear—followed him up and into the darkened shed.

"All right, everyone, you're doing great," he said. "Find a spot to catch your breath." He took a seat himself on a worktable, Mina perching herself next to him.

She said, "I hope Royd is okay. Should I call him?"

"Nah. I'm sure he's busy making the Dead Boys wish they'd stayed in bed today," he replied.

She smiled. "So what's the plan?" She quickly added, "And don't nominate _ me_ for the committee this time."

Tobias looked over at the rescued people. One of the Front members, Tina, was doing her best to comfort her two frightened cousins. One was a little girl of about nine, with a smudged cheek and tangled hair that was as fiery red as her cousin's. Immediately after being comforted by Tina, she put on a brave face and started comforting her little brother.

Tobias was sad to think of the trouble these children were being forced to endure. "This is a tough one," he said quietly to his friend. "We can't beat two platoons. The best we could hope for is to get them to go away."

Mina ran her fingers through her long, auburn hair. "We could capture the colonel, force him to order a retreat. It would give us time to get the Front out of here."

"And then what?" Tobias sighed. "Tomorrow the Emperor sends a whole division and obliterates the town. We win the battle and lose the war."

The two thought for a moment, then Mina's face lit up. "What if they _think_ they did win?"

Tobias followed her thought. "They want all the members of the Front dead. Could we fake their deaths? What if we used your illusion spell?"

Mina shook her head at that. "No, the spell is cast on an individual person. I couldn't cast it on all of them."

"All right," Tobias said, undaunted. "What if it's just one. What if we do capture the colonel and stage some scenario he'd believe, then let him escape?"

Mina pondered it. "It won't be easy. But I don't see any other way."

"The only thing is," Tobias hopped down and started pacing. "We'd have to get all the Front members together. If any of the soldiers were out chasing them, they'd give conflicting information to the colonel."

Mina jumped down. "Then let's find them."

Tobias nodded, then pulled a power pack from his jacket pocket and snapped it onto his pistol.

* * *

Nikolai folded his switchblade and stuck it into his back pocket. He stepped into the living room, stuffed two boxes of 12-gauge cartridges into the pocket of his hunting vest and checked the shotgun.

He tried to pretend that his heart wasn't beating so hard from fear. He tried to pretend that the mist in his vision wasn't tears.

He took a last look around the house he'd lived in for a year, the only home he'd known since his parents were killed three years ago in another land.

Sonia was standing in the doorway. "What are you doing?" Her voice trembled.

He turned away. "What does it look like I'm doing." He left the house, the screen door banging against its wooden frame. He slung the shotgun over his shoulder and adjusted the strap, heading toward his bicycle.

Sonia raced out of the house. "Wait, Nicky! You can't do this. They'll hurt you!"

He turned to face her, no longer able to check his anger. "They're probably going to _kill_ me!"

"Then don't go."

"I have to," he said, the anger replaced with a dark determination.

"Why?"

He couldn't believe that she couldn't see the obvious. "Because I'm the reason they're in trouble. Because . . . because I gave you secrets that I shouldn't have. Because I trusted you." He couldn't look at her anymore. He grabbed the handle of the bike. He had never been this angry at his sister. It was a feeling he didn't like, and he wished that he didn't have to carry it. Piled on top of his own fear and guilt, it was too much to bear.

He looked up at the sky. "Why did you do this?"

She took a deep breath. "Because I love you, Nicky. Because—"

"Love me?" He spun to face her. "If you love me, how could you betray me—and everything I stand for?"

"It's my job to keep you safe. Those people would have eventually gotten you killed—"

"That was _my_ choice." His chest hurt and his mouth was dry. "This is what I believe in. Doesn't that matter to you? What's the point of keeping me alive if you won't let me _live_? How does that help me? How—" His breath left him as everything became clear. He suddenly saw her differently. "It wasn't for me, was it?" He sighed. "It was for you."

"Nicky, the Coalition—"

"No. I don't care how you justified it to yourself." He approached her. "It wasn't my life you were concerned about. It was my attention. My devotion. You didn't like it that I was following someone else. That you weren't my whole life anymore. You just didn't want to let go."

She stood silent, shaking her head, perhaps wanting to deny it, but not able to. "I don't know. Maybe it was a mistake. But what's done is done. You're safe. Don't throw that away." She took his hand in both of hers and looked at him, tears streaming from her eyes. "Stay here with me. _Please_."

Nikolai looked at her. Felt the weight of the shotgun on his back. Thought about his friends. Things could never be the same. It was strange to feel nostalgia for the innocence of only a few hours ago. But in that brief time, his whole world had changed.

He noticed for the first time that he was taller than Sonia. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her with all the love he felt for her, which, despite everything, was as strong as it always had been.

Then he let her go and mounted his bicycle.

She continued to plead with him, but didn't restrain him.

He rode off quickly, blinking the tears away as best as he could.


	4. Chapter 4

Scarlet Eyes

**_A Rifts Story_**

by Alexis Williams

(Based on the Rifts Roleplaying Game, published by Palladium Books)

CHAPTER FOUR

The dying sun was blood red as it sought refuge behind the dark horizon.

Jon thought it was tragic. And beautiful.

He drove the horse onward, back to town, to help his people however he could. He had gotten used to the idea that he was going to die tonight. Strange how that knowledge changes your perspective. He realized how unimportant his death really was—compared to the real tragedy: the fact that evil was going to win again.

Just like before.

Four years earlier, before Jon knew anything of politics and empires and the incredibly vast world, he had found a man in the forest. Not a man according to any Coalition definition, of course.

He was an alien, whose parents had come through a rift by intent or chance. He was born here, knew only of Earth. But his leathery skin, slightly protruding snout, and furry body were something Jon had never seen. He'd never met any nonhuman before. Only heard of them from the Coalition's indoctrinators. He was made to memorize their evil ways.

But seeing him lying wounded in the forest, he found it hard to believe.

Jon followed his heart, rescuing him and nursing him back to health. They became friends. Rook told him of strange places beyond the Coalition. Of scholars and mages. Of knights and engineers. Of places where no knowledge was forbidden. Of truth. And honor.

Jon hung on every word for weeks. Until the day one of the farms was attacked by a creature. Rook ran to the rescue, killing the creature, but reopening his wounds.

The army, responding to the town's distress call, found the wounded Rook and began to take him away, they said, to heal him. When Rook resisted, they shot him dead.

That night, under a scarlet, setting sun, Jon started the resistance. It existed only in his heart, with himself as the only member. But it made all the difference.

And tonight, it was coming to an end. He wondered what Rook would've thought about that.

Jon didn't think much of it. When he'd escaped from the firing squad and raced to confront Nikolai, his only thought was that there would be justice. The traitor wouldn't live to enjoy his betrayal. But the truth about Sonia had thrown him. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her, especially when her motives were more misguided than evil. Perhaps leaving her there to face her brother's pain was the most fitting punishment for her anyway.

As far as Jon was concerned, his issue with them was settled. Now his only purpose in life was to help his people. In a way, he felt he was as responsible for their fates as Sonia was. It was he, after all, who convinced them to band together in the Front. It was he who had ended their innocence prematurely.

He slapped the rear of the horse to make it go faster, then saw motion from the corner of his eye. Someone was running. He recognized the person as Thomas, a member of the Front. Jon changed course immediately and soon saw the reason for his comrade's flight. A soldier in SAMAS power armor pursued him, loping easily on powerful legs.

Jon urged the horse even harder, closing the distance to Thomas in a few seconds. Without slowing, he grit his teeth, reached down, and yanked his friend up by the armpit. Thomas had the reflexes to maneuver himself into a sitting position behind Jon.

The resistance leader headed for a nearby wooded area. The SAMAS started firing on them with a laser, which exploded patches of grass all around them. He was either a bad shot or trying to do something other than hit them with the powerful weapon.

As the riders approached a small, wooden bridge for crossing the creek, a laser shot whizzed past them and hit the bridge. The structure evaporated in a cloud of burnt sawdust and splinters. With no time to change course, Jon leaped the horse right over the creek, sailing through the cloud of debris and landing on the opposite bank. He spurred the horse.

A few seconds later, what happened was so fast and strange that his mind took a while to comprehend it. One moment he was urging the horse onward, then next moment he was flying through the air, surrounded by a hurricane of matter that was wet, warm, soft. He was aware of a loud crack of thunder from somewhere behind him.

The ground hit him, and after hurriedly orienting himself, he saw that he was in a field of reddish gore with a scarlet mist in the air. He still clutched the reins. Thomas lay fifteen feet away. The horse was no more.

The SAMAS landed nearby, sending a ripple through the ground. It reached down, picking up Thomas by the neck. The boy struggled until his neck was snapped. He went limp, like an old scarecrow.

Then the SAMAS turned toward Jon.

* * *

"Target acquired," the computer announced. Royd jammed the firing button as fast as possible, furious that he was already too late to save one of them. Both rail guns shot dense titanium projectiles at supersonic speeds, hitting the SAMAS square in the back. 

That got its attention, knocking it down and tearing off its starboard wing. Royd was happy that at least he wouldn't be flying anymore.

Royd watched Jon react quickly. He sprung to his feet and made a dash toward the forest.

The SAMAS got back up and faced Royd's spider-skull walker. Royd knew his chances against a SAMAS weren't that great. He wished he could drop off his two passengers before starting this fight, but that was obviously not possible.

The SAMAS ran forward a few steps and leaped into the air, its ankle jets firing. While it wasn't technically flying, it was still capable of impressive leaps. It started firing at the top of its arc, its shots rocking the cabin of the walker. It landed and ran under it.

Royd knew he had to keep him in sight. He skittered the vehicle to the side quickly and loosed some distracting laser fire. He moved quickly toward the nearby forested area. The region was densely packed with sharp hills, boulders, and valleys.

The walker ran forward while the head-shaped cabin pivoted 180 degrees to face his attacker. Royd summoned all of his concentration to do the work of three men. He piloted the vehicle while loosing laser bursts to keep his opponent off-balance, while also coaxing the rail guns to lock on to the fast-moving soldier.

For the first time in a long time, Royd felt totally alive.

* * *

Sergeant Spike had faced many tough opponents before. He had to respect this one for his skill. His opponent's defeat would make another excellent story to tell his comrades.

He dodged as many of the lasers as he could, continuing to fire himself, as he chased the vehicle toward the forest. Then he suddenly varied the pattern by leaping into the air. Temporarily out of the field of fire, it gave him the chance to launch a couple of missiles at his target. They hit the undercarriage, tearing one of the middle legs off. Now the six-legged vehicle was down to four.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Royd slapped off the damage alarms and struggled to keep the machine balanced on its remaining legs. He cursed, put the rail guns on manual, and fired a desperate burst.

He scored a hit in the leg, knocking the soldier down.

Royd seized the opportunity and sped up a steep hill topped by boulders. An alarm went off warning of excessive reactor temperature. He saw the SAMAS get back up just as he reached the top. Then Royd did something with the walker that it was not designed to do. He leaped off the hill.

* * *

With the damage to the SAMAS's leg, Sergeant Spike was now forced to limp. But he could still make good time. If that mercenary thought he was going to hide in the forest, he was sorely mistaken. It was a poor strategy, and Spike sneered at the rogue's stupidity.

He took the hill in one leap and looked down to see the walker sitting on the ground several yards away, smoke escaping from the engine area.

Spike smiled and leaped down, ready for the kill.

* * *

The moment the SAMAS leaped off the hill, Royd fired a burst with the rail guns straight into the side of the hill. The very moment the solder landed, the top half of the hill collapsed onto him, burying him in tons of rock.

Royd sighed with relief. He doubted that the soldier or his machine were disabled, but without leverage, getting out would take time.

He shut off the heat vents that were leaking smoke, making the walker look more damaged than it was and venting the reactor at the same time. He whispered sweet nothings to the machine as he coaxed it to life once more.

He noticed out of the viewport a figure approaching. He was halfway to the firing control before seeing that it was Jon. He popped the hatch.

The man entered. "Thank you."

Royd looked embarrassed. "Sorry about your friend."

For all his youth, the man clearly had the bearing of a leader. "You did everything you could," he said. "There's a place near here where we meet sometimes. It's probably where the others are headed. I can show you the way."

* * *

Tobias and Mina had finally convinced the three Liberation Front members they were protecting to leave their loved ones in the shed, so that they could make their way to the secondary hideout in a forested area that the locals called Giant City.

Tobias had been fascinated with the story of its formation. Though none of the people of Cobdendale knew the origin, Tobias had learned that a thousand years ago, during an ice age, huge glaciers had pushed these immense boulders south—scraping the land north of it perfectly flat—before receding in the eventual-warm-up.

They were nearing the borders of the area, slogging through a muddy field, when they heard a turbo engine. They looked up to see a SAMAS descending toward them from the sky.

Her eyes fixed on the intruder, Mina said to Tobias, "Get these three to the forest. I'll take care of this guy."

"No way," he said firmly. "You can't handle that."

She looked him in the eyes. "I've got a better chance than you. Your pistols are useless here. Now get them to the cave. I'll be fine."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Please be careful." He hustled the kids away quickly.

The SAMAS seemed to have no problem with that. He came directly toward her.

* * *

Craig couldn't believe his luck. There she was. The mage.

There were others, scattering off like rodents, but he could get them later. She was the prize he dreamed of. His first major opponent. He would finally have an epic battle story of his own to tell. Even Sergeant Spike would be impressed.

Craig was sure of it.

* * *

She threw up her shield spell just in time. As he descended, the SAMAS pulled a large rifle on her and opened up.

It was difficult to dodge with her feet alternately sticking and sliding in the mud. Then she heard the distinctive thunderclap of the supersonic rail gun as the projectile hit her in the shoulder.

Her magical armor took all the damage, though she could feel it weakening. There was enough unabsorbed concussive force to flip her around and send her tumbling to the ground.

The SAMAS landed about a hundred yards away and stood watching her. Mina, annoyed that her beige tunic and pants were now filthy, got back on her feet and fired a magic energy bolt at the soldier.

He flinched, but was hit by it. It did no damage. He lowered his weapon and strode confidently toward her.

She fired another. He shrugged it off and kept walking.

She fired another spell. He took it in stride. Unfortunately for him, this was a different spell. The energy bolt suddenly opened up into a net of magical fibers. He realized his folly too late to dodge. Caught in the net, he was hardly able to move at all. He started cursing.

Mina smiled and shook her head.

But knowing that the spell wouldn't last more than a few minutes, she had to plan her next move. The truth was that there was little she could do to him, except delay him. She certainly didn't want to lead him toward the cave. But she would definitely benefit from the cover of the forest. Going in the opposite direction of the cave, she entered Giant City.

* * *

"We're almost there," Jon said.

"Good," Royd answered. "I'll drop you guys off and take this thing—" Just then, an alarm went off, accompanied by a grinding sound from below the deck. "That's not good." He flicked some switches to reroute power, but to no avail.

The walker was on its way up a slope, but suffering from several systems failures. "That's it, kids," Royd announced. "This baby ain't goin' any farther." He popped that hatch. "Last stop, no passengers."

They all deboarded and climbed the rest of the way to the secret cave. It was halfway up a hill, its entrance obscured by the newly leafing branches of a willow. They found one more Front member there. The friends hugged each other.

Jon saw Royd's sour expression and asked about it.

"I wasn't planning to park this close to the hideout," Royd said. "We might as well put a neon sign above the cave saying, 'Fugitive rebels here, half price'."

He thought for a moment, then cracked a mischievous smile. "On the other hand, maybe I could get some use outta this."

* * *

Mina used a tiny ball of magical energy and her cupped right hand to aim the light downward to serve as her flashlight as she made her way through the dark forest. So far there was no sign of her pursuer, and she was glad of that. She wished she was back with the others, though. Being out alone in the forest with a SAMAS stalking her was not her idea of fun.

Then she heard the faint whine of an engine. She quickly climbed into a nearby cave and extinguished her light. She hoped the power-suited armor wouldn't be able to detect her heat signature as she crouched against the cool stone wall.

She listened with growing concern as the engine whine came to a halt nearby. Shortly, she heard footsteps crunching around in the forest. She engaged her invisible, magical armor. Then the footsteps came directly to the cave entrance.

She could barely see the silhouette of a man. He said, "Mina?"

The voice was strangely familiar.

She created a ball of light in the air, and suddenly found herself facing the last person she ever expected to see.

"Owen," she said hollowly, standing up. As he smiled and approached, she held up a hand. "Don't come any closer," she said.

He deflated somewhat, taking on a serious expression. "Of course."

"How did you find me," she demanded.

"When your clash with Private Gable—the SAMAS—was reported, I rushed to the area and started searching the forest."

Mina remained silent, knowing there had to be more. That wasn't enough to explain how he came right to her.

"Well, I—" He watched her face closely as he said, "I still remember the first spell we learned together."

She thought for a moment and sighed. "Detect Magic." She cleared her head of the painful memory evoked by his statement. "What do you want?" she said impatiently.

He cleared his throat. "I, uh, I know you probably hate me. I can understand that. I've come to realize that what I did was wrong. That everything I believed in was wrong. When we first became officers, you—"

Her eyes flared in anger. "Save it, Owen," she said harshly. "For somebody who wants to hear it."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then he said, "I deserve that. And more." He nodded. "It's time for me to make up for all the awful things I've done. I don't expect you to ever love me again. But, if you could find it in your heart to help me start a new life. I want to do what you do—traveling around, helping people. But I don't know how to survive in the wilderness. I don't know the places such people go to learn—"

"Owen, please stop." She put her fingers to her temples and took a deep breath. "I'm happy for you if you've finally seen the true nature of your masters. I'm happy that you want to atone for your sins. But you'll have to find someone else to help you. Because I will never forgive you." She took a step forward. "The Owen I loved is dead. He died when he chose his military career over me. He died when he failed to lift a finger the day they came to haul me away in chains." Her voice wavered. "When you let them kill my teacher." Mina took a calming breath. "She sacrificed her life to make sure I escaped. While you, the man I loved, did nothing. Because it was you, the man I loved, who brought them to do it!"

She pushed past him, then turned. "I wish you luck on your quest for redemption, Captain Selby. But that quest won't be with me."

She left the cave and disappeared into the dense foliage. The light in the cave dimmed and went out.

Leaving Owen in darkness.

* * *

Jon looked up and found a crescent moon beginning its ascent. He had to admit that things were turning out better than he'd expected. At least he and three members of the Front were still alive. He watched them huddling in the back of the cave, mourning over the loss of Thomas.

While the night was certainly tragic, if any of them could survive it, Jon would be grateful for the miracle. He would have to thank Royd when he got back from tinkering with the spider walker. As he looked out toward the vehicle, he noticed a figure stepping into view, coming straight for the cave. He calmed himself as he realized that it was too small to be a soldier. It must be another member of the Front.

And it was, but not one he expected.

Jon held out his hand and helped Nikolai climb up to the cave entrance. They looked at each other for a moment.

Nikolai said, "I know there's nothing I can say or do to make up for my mistake. But if you have any mercy at all, please let me stay to share the fate of my friends."

Jon regarded him for a long moment. His compatriot was young and foolish, but his heart was in the right place. If the boy was brave enough to put himself in such a dangerous position, then Jon would just have to be brave enough to forgive him.

He put his hand on Nikolai's shoulder. "I'm sure we could use all the help we can get."

Nikolai nodded, his emotions too strong to let him speak, and headed toward the back of the cave.

Jon looked back out into the night, just in time to see the rustling of foliage nearby. Again becoming guarded, he was practically overjoyed to see that it was the traveler Tobias and three members of the Front. He helped them up.

This was unbelievably wonderful. Now all eight surviving members were present. Perhaps there was hope after all.

"We have a plan," Tobias said.

"What do you want me to do?" Jon asked.

"Just stay—" Tobias gazed down at a rustling bush. When no one emerged, he signaled to Jon to stay put, then leaped down and disappeared into the darkness. After a few seconds, he heard a squeal, and the scholar emerged holding a nine-year-old girl with red hair by the arm. He carried her up to the cave.

Jon said to her, "Maya, what are you doing here?"

Tobias said, "We told you to wait in that tool shed."

She put on an exceptionally innocent face. "I didn't want to be left out."

Tina and the others came up from the back of the cave. The little girl ran up to her cousin and hugged her around the waist. Tina said, "Young lady, you are in so much trouble." Her eyes misted up.

Jon announced, "The travelers have a plan." He turned to Tobias. "You were telling me what you wanted me to do."

Tobias nodded his head. "Yes. I want you to stay here and take care of your people. When Royd is finished with whatever scheme he's working on, we'll go and find Mina, capture the colonel, and make him think everyone is dead."

Jon considered that, frowning. "What do you think our chances are of pulling that off?"

The adventurer glanced around, seeing everyone watching him attentively. After a moment's hesitation, he smiled. "It won't be the first time we've done the improbable. I'll tell you what, while we're waiting for Royd to finish, let me tell you the story of how we helped Sir Turin the cyber-knight to save the city of Manistee." He ushered for everyone to sit.

Jon loved Tobias's stories. They were inspirational and educational, as well as entertaining.

He sat down against the cave wall and listened. And for a moment, the world was perfect.

* * *

She refused to cry.

Mina trudged through the dark forest, not even bothering to use her light. The moon now cast enough of a sickly glow for her to make her way.

She wandered aimlessly. She tried very hard not to think about Owen. But it was the only thing she could think about.

How could he dare to seek her forgiveness after all this time. After his utter betrayal.

Mina and Owen had grown up in the heart of the Coalition States. They had gone through officer training together. They had lived and loved together. She had cared for him more deeply than anyone else in the world. Until their graduation assignment.

They'd been sent undercover to eliminate a school of magic in an outlying city. They had found the teacher and joined her classes. To Mina's utter surprise, she found that magic was something that felt completely right for her. It was like finally finding herself.

Owen, however, was as repulsed by magic as they had always been taught to be. She delayed him for weeks from ending the mission by summoning the arresting force. Then, one day, he apparently stopped listening to her and brought them in. Mina was actually teaching part of the class that day. When her superiors saw that, Mina was added to the arrest list.

The ensuing escape was the most tragic moment of Mina's life.

And now, after years of engaging in criminal tyranny, that soulless bastard actually had the nerve to expect her to _save_ him. The bile rose in her throat to even think about it. If it didn't go against everything she stood for, she would've been happy to wring the last bit of life out of his evil, pathetic heart.

The bitter tears started to come. She stopped and rested her head against a tree trunk. She had to get a hold of herself. She quieted her mind and opened her senses to the forest. She felt the life and the peacefulness of mother earth, the source of all magic energies.

As she struggled with her anger, she heard a noise from some distance. It soon became clear that the sound was the footsteps of heavy power armor. And it was coming this way.

Why couldn't they leave her alone? The Coalition. She hated it. She hated the small-minded bigotry that took the life of her teacher. She hated the corruption and ambition that took the soul of the man she loved. She hated the repression that she constantly fought against.

Why couldn't they just leave everyone alone?

And then he was there. The SAMAS entered the small clearing, its unchanging mask somehow gazing at her like a hungry predator. Mina turned toward him, her fury flaring. She shouted, "Why can't you just leave me alone!"

With a snide tone, the soldier replied, "The use of magic in Coalition territory is a crime against humanity. By the Emperor's order, I sentence you to death."

Finally, the arrogance was too much for Mina. She screamed a curse, then growled a spell.

Bands of light danced around her hands. She thrust them toward the soldier, sending a massive ball of energy at his head. The force knocked him back several feet. He had to grab hold of a tree to maintain his balance.

Mina stretched her hand toward the sky, and a lightning bolt appeared out of the clear skies and struck the private. He gave out a yell of pain.

Mina glanced at a rock the size of her head to her right. She extended a hand, and it rose into the air and flung itself at the soldier. It bounced off his armor, but was soon joined by a larger rock, then another. One smacked him in the face of his skull-shaped helmet, shattering his visor. The rocks alternated with powerful energy blasts, as Mina gave full reign to her fury and pain. Her eyes glowed scarlet from the magical energies coursing through her body.

Finally, a boulder larger than Mina smashed him into the smoking ground. He lay still.

Mina stood panting, then collapsed onto her knees from exhaustion. Her body had reached its limit of endurance in harnessing the Earth's raw power. She now fought against a wave of dizziness.

After struggling for a few moments, she looked up and noticed Owen standing at the edge of the clearing, his eyes filled with terror.

Mina was happy to see that.

Then the SAMAS soldier stirred. The power armor's arms still had enough strength to roll the boulder off of him. He struggled to his feet. His armor was dented and scorched in several places. Some of the plates were missing, exposing the underlying circuitry and control servos. Craig slowly removed his mangled helmet and tossed it aside.

He was a young man, little more than a boy. A streak of blood ran from his nose.

Mina couldn't help thinking that she had been about the same age when she became an officer.

Then the soldier seemed to notice Owen and stood a little stiffer. "Lieutenant. I'm glad you're here, sir. I'm engaged in battle with a mage. But I think she's out of magic. With your permission, I'll execute her now, sir."

Mina looked up at Owen. His jaw was tight, his face grim. In one hand he held a metallic drinking flask. He gazed back at her darkly, then gave a snide grin. "She is of no use to us. Get rid of her."

Private Gable said enthusiastically, "Yes, sir!" He reached down and picked up his dropped plasma rifle, reattaching its power cable to his armor. He checked its readings and took aim at the kneeling woman.

A part of Mina was almost happy to see it end.

"One moment, Private," Owen said. He stepped toward the SAMAS. You've got a fitting loose in the back. It could cause the gun to overload. Let me tighten it." He finished in a few moments and returned to his original position. "Proceed."

Private Gable took aim once again, his eyes intense with joy. He pulled the trigger.

A blinding flash was the last thing Mina saw.

* * *

Owen shielded his face from the intense heat of the blast.

When he opened his eyes, he saw what was left of the SAMAS—an empty husk lying in a smoking heap. Relief swept over him.

He quickly tossed aside his flask and rushed over to Mina, who had passed out. He prayed that he wasn't too late.


	5. Chapter 5

**Scarlet Eyes**

**_A Rifts Story_**

by Alexis Williams

(Based on the Rifts Roleplaying Game, published by Palladium Books)

CHAPTER FIVE

"Well, of course I didn't want to tell him my real name, because he knew my family," Tobias said, weaving his third tale of the evening. "So I smiled and said, 'My name is Bond. James Bond.' And just using his name gave me the confidence to pull off the deception."

Nine-year-old Maya, the most eager of his audience, said, "Who's Bond James Bond?"

Tobias smiled. "He was a great hero from ancient times. He spent his whole life fighting powerful evildoers."

She said, "If he lived in ancient times, how do you know about him?"

"Well, I read about him in a book."

"What's a book?"

Always pleased to come across an inquisitive mind, Tobias reached into a pocket on his lower leg and pulled out a ragged paperback.

Maya sprang up to him, the other members of the audience forgotten. He opened it up to show her the print. "These markings here stand for words. Just by looking at them, I can hear the voice of the person who made them speaking to me."

Her eyes were wide. "Wow. Is it magic?"

He chuckled. "Well, in a way, I guess it is."

From near the entrance, "That's all fine and nice, but it won't help you fight off the Coalition. This will."

Tobias turned toward him with a patient smile. "Why don't you tell us about it, Royd?"

His eyes bright, Royd started to explain his brilliant feat of engineering, but was interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping somewhere near. Royd and Tobias peeked behind the hanging branches of the willow to see a young woman climbing up to the cave.

After a few moments, Sonia Korpanoff entered, everyone watching her with uncertainty. Jon had not informed the others of her actions, but as she was not a member of the Front, her presence was a mystery.

She took a deep breath, looking at Nikolai and Jon. "What I did was wrong. I'm sorry."

The group of fugitives stood silently in the darkness, no one sure what to say. The quiet was eventually broken by the agitated chittering of a flock of birds, which faded away as they took to flight.

Then came the sound of a heavy thumping.

Royd recognized the sound immediately. "A SAMAS is approaching." Tobias and Jon joined him in peeking out of the cave. They saw a limping, power-armored soldier moving toward the inert spider walker.

A grin spread across Royd's face. "He's taking the bait." He pulled from his pocket one of the small communicators that he and his friends always carried. "All I have to do is send a signal to the comm system in the walker, and it'll activate the rail gun targeting system. When it tries to fire, the bypass'll cause the reactor to overload and, well—it should be quite a show."

The SAMAS was walking all around the vehicle, his rifle aimed at it, looking for a reaction.

Royd, his eyes intense, pressed the communicator's transmit button.

Nothing happened.

Alarmed, Royd checked his frequency and jabbed at the button. "Dammit!" After trying in vain for another ten seconds, he finally gave up with a sigh. "I shoulda touched the scar first."

The power-armored sergeant turned away from the vehicle, adjusting controls on his helmet. Staring at the ground, he began to move slowly in the general direction of the cave.

Tobias armed his laser pistol. Nikolai readied his shotgun. Royd bitterly cast aside the comm unit and pulled out his plasma rifle. They all waited quietly, hoping for a miracle.

After several attempts, Sonia got Nikolai's attention. She held his hand. "Nicky, you were right about everything. I really hope that someday you can forgive me."

Nikolai sighed and spoke quietly. "Like you said, what's done is done." He looked her in the eyes. "I don't hate you. I just wish . . . I wish things could have gone differently."

She nodded. "Me, too." She hugged him. "I love you, Nicky. Never forget that." Without looking at him, she let go and quickly slipped out of the cave.

Tobias looked at Nikolai with disbelief. "What is she doing?"

Jon answered. "She's surviving. It's something that's very important to her." They watched as she quietly disappeared into the darkness. Nikolai turned away from them.

The SAMAS continued to move closer.

Tobias whispered to Royd, "Maybe the others should try to escape, too."

Royd shook his head. "She was lucky. They'd never make it."

"Maybe a couple might escape," the scholar countered. "It's better than standing here hoping that he loses that heat trail."

Royd considered for a moment. "All right. Of course, they'd have a better chance if you and I ran out and distracted him."

"Sounds like a plan," Tobias said. "An insane, suicidal plan."

Royd grinned. "At least it's got style."

Tobias clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's do it." He turned his head to tell everyone the plan, when suddenly, a clanking noise reverberated through the clearing. They scanned the area quickly, discovering that the spider walker had sprung to life. It was vibrating in a vain attempt to lift its carriage off the ground.

The SAMAS took immediate notice, springing into the air and landing a few meters from it. In a flash, the sergeant brought his weapon to bear and fired on it.

The walker stopped vibrating. Its rail gun turrets targeted the attacker.

With sudden realization, Royd spun around, tackling everyone around him with his muscular frame and driving them backwards. A deafening explosion rocked the cave, a fireball incinerating all the branches they had just been peeking through. The shockwave knocked everyone down as a burst of searing heat stormed through the cave, dislodging chunks of rock from the ceiling to shower the terrified fugitives.

Everyone lay still, except for smoke-induced coughing. Eventually, they stirred and surveyed the situation.

Tobias looked out onto the charred remains of the forest clearing. "Congratulations, Royd," he said. "The effect was a little larger than I would've liked, but at least you finally had a plan that worked."

Royd surveyed the twisted remains of the SAMAS. The walker itself was completely gone. "Except that it didn't."

"What do you mean?" Jon asked, joining them, followed by Nikolai.

Royd frowned. "I didn't program it to move around like that. And the communicator failed. Somebody was in that walker."

It was Tobias's turn to frown. "But who? Who would've known—" He stopped, his eyes turning fearfully toward Nikolai. A tense moment passed before Nikolai returned his look.

"No," Nikolai said breathlessly. He rushed passed them. "No!" He leaped out of the cave, ran into the forest, and began searching furiously.

* * *

Mina's head throbbed.

She opened her eyes to find herself looking at a star-speckled sky, framed by swaying tree limbs. To her left, she heard the babbling of a creek and the shower of a nearby waterfall. She was stretched out on the ground, her head on something soft. Owen Selby sat on a rock a short distance away. Her thoughts were jumbled.

She said, "What happened?"

Owen exhaled with relief. He looked over at her. "It seems that Private Gable's plasma rifle was cross-fed with the suit's interior power grid, causing a feedback discharge inside his armor." He shook his head. "He won't be bothering anyone anymore."

Mina remembered the final moments of the conflict. She remembered her expectation of death. She remembered Owen fiddling with the soldier's suit. The implication of this gave her a great deal of mixed feelings. Finally, without looking at him, she said, "Thank you for saving my life, Owen."

He nodded solemnly. "You're welcome."

She considered what to do next. It seemed somewhat ungrateful to just get up and leave. But this was still the man she'd hated for years. The man responsible for so much pain.

He was also the man who only an hour ago had come to her to defect. To beg her forgiveness. Asking to learn how to become more like her.

She'd had every right to turn him away. She was under no obligation to forgive, even now that he had just saved her life. Her hatred was perfectly justified.

Wasn't it?

"If you're okay," he said. "I guess I can leave." He paused for a moment, then stood, moving away.

"Owen."

He stopped, turning back toward her.

She wasn't sure why she said it. She just wasn't ready to for him to leave just yet. "When . . . when did you figure out that you were working for the bad guys?"

He sat back down, thinking about it for a long heartbeat. "Part of me knew in that final moment, just before you jumped from that window. You turned back, and our eyes met for an instant."

Mina remembered that moment. At the time, she couldn't believe that her lover had brought down such destruction upon her. She'd had to see his face before escaping, to read whatever it had to say. His angry face and cold eyes had told her in an instant that this was no longer her lifelong friend and cherished lover, but a ruthless enemy.

"When you looked at me, Mina," he continued. "I saw the hatred in your eyes. And I realized it was over. That I had lost you."

"I know that couldn't have been a surprise to you." Mina propped herself up on an elbow. "You didn't expect me to still love you after you betrayed me and had me arrested, did you?"

He looked at her with amazement. "Surely you know that was never my intention. When I activated the spy cameras we'd installed, and the major saw you actually _teaching_ the magic class, I was terrified. I tried to talk him out of arresting you, but I couldn't."

She sat up, her pulse quickening. "You shouldn't have summoned them in the first place. And don't tell me you had to do it because that's what our mission was. Don't tell me about our duty—because that won't mean much to me. It's obvious you loved the army more than me."

"That wasn't why I called them," he said.

"Then, why?" she demanded.

"Because it was the only thing I could think of to get you back."

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

He turned his head upward, closing his eyes. "For weeks before that, we'd been growing farther and farther apart. It was the magic. Something forbidden. Something you loved and I could hardly understand. You were delving deeper and deeper into it. It was taking you from me." He sighed. "I had to end that mission. I had to get you away from the influence of that mage. It was the only way I knew to get us back to the way things were before."

Mina was stunned. For years, she had fumed about Owen's act of betrayal, his heartless, evil deed. And now, to finally learn that his act wasn't that of an ambitious officer or a brainwashed pawn of the Emperor, but that of a forlorn lover—it was incredible to her that she'd never considered it, never been able to see it from his point of view.

Her hatred, she realized, had blinded her. His act had been desperate and misguided—but not actually evil in its intent. She turned away from him and gazed at the creek, tiny sparkles of moonlight dancing across the flowing water. Hatred was not the way of the Earth. And for the first time, she knew that if she let go of it, she would be stronger. It was a blindfold that had to be eliminated.

She turned toward Owen and regarded him freshly. Though still young, his body was gaunt and bent. His pallid, scruffy face was turned downward, haunted eyes gazing at the ground.

The object of her hatred was just a broken little man.

She said, "And now you want to leave the Coalition?"

"Yes." He looked back at her with an intense expression. "How can any group claim to be humanity's last hope while outlawing people's freedom to learn and think and speak and love—all the things that make us human?"

Mina smiled at his passionate outburst. He was truly on a rode of discovery. Perhaps the two of them weren't so different after all. She climbed to her feet, Owen rushing over to help her. They stood close.

She said, "How would you like to come with me?"

He barely managed to stutter, "I'd like that very much."

She smiled and turned. "Then come on." She jumped into the creek and started moving upstream. Owen had a surprised expression, but followed. The stream widened into a pool that was fed by a small waterfall dropping from the rocks above. Mina and Owen walked under it.

She let the cool water drench her face and body. She could see on Owen's face a lightness and a joy that were certainly new to him. For a moment, they were no longer fighters in a grand and tragic struggle. They were children, playing outside.

As she let her pain wash away, she looked into Owen's eyes.

And they were new.


	6. Chapter 6

**Scarlet Eyes**

**_A Rifts Story_**

by Alexis Williams

(Based on the Rifts Roleplaying Game, published by Palladium Books)

CHAPTER SIX

Jon jogged along the edge of the forest, searching as quickly as he could. Finally, he found his friend. Nikolai was standing near two bicycles, gazing intently into the forest.

Jon came to a stop. "Nikolai, we have to go."

The boy didn't move. He said, "I found her bike." He gripped one of the handlebars tightly. "She has to come and get it. She'll be here soon."

Jon approached cautiously. "I'm sorry, Nikolai," he said, with an air of finality. " I really am."

His friend turned toward him. "Don't say that. She'll be here. She just got a little lost, that's all." His rising voice grew shaky. "I know she's coming! She . . . she . . ." He started sobbing as he grabbed the bicycle and slid toward the ground.

Jon wished he had the power to bring Sonia back. To bring Thomas back. To change anything about this horrible night. His helplessness burned in him.

He heard the sound of an air vehicle streaking in the darkness. He said, "Nikolai, we have to go. Tobias and Royd were afraid that the explosion would be visible from a distance. It looks like they were right. The others have abandoned the cave. If we hurry, we can catch up to them."

Kneeling on the ground, Nikolai put his forehead to the dirt. "Leave me."

Jon said, "I can't do that. The army will find you here."

It seemed to take an effort for him to speak. "It doesn't matter," he breathed. "Not anymore."

Jon wondered for a moment if this really was the appropriate ending for Nikolai. But he refused to accept it. He marched over to his friend, grabbed him by the arms, and lifted the surprised boy to his feet. He looked him straight in the eyes. "It does matter." When Nikolai turned his head away, Jon shook him to reclaim his attention. "She sacrificed herself to save you. Is _this_ what she died for? So you could crumble and fade away?"

Nikolai's expression hardened.

Jon pressed his point. "Is _this_ what you're going to make her life worth?"

After long moments of silence, Nikolai seemed to reach a decision. The light returned to his eyes and his breathing deepened.

"Okay." He nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Mina and Owen stepped out of the creek holding hands. 

He turned to her with a smile. "So is this what it means to be an adventurer—walking around in wet clothes?"

"No," she said, returning his smile. "_This_ is what it means to be an adventurer." She raised her arm with a flourish while chanting an incantation. Suddenly, a warm wind began swirling around them, gusting through their clothes.

Owen felt invigorated, and in a couple of minutes, their clothes were dry. He said, "I think I'm gonna like this."

Then his attention was caught by a tinny voice. "Dammit, Selby! I said, _ come in_!" His mouth tightened with tension as he went over to his folded-up jacket, which had served Mina as a pillow. He pressed the communicator on the collar.

"This is Selby," he said.

"Ah, there you are," the voice said smugly. It was Colonel Hodges. "Nice try, Selby, but we know your game now. We got the background on that woman in the t-t-truck. And we know that you and Mina Tanari served together—and were once engaged to be married. So we know you've been aiding her and the d-d-dissidents to escape us."

Owen turned to Mina. "Looks like my defection is now official."

The colonel softened his rant a little. "Look, Selby, I know you guys have some serious firepower out there. Your accomplices have already taken out two SAMASes, a skull walker, and an Enforcer." He paused. "I'll be honest with you. This is starting to look bad for me." That gave Owen quite a bit of satisfaction. "So I'll make you a deal," the colonel continued. "Let's end this now. You know we can't leave until we've taken out the Front. If they surrender to us, you and your rogue friends can . . . escape. What do you say?"

Owen's face turned red with anger. "Shove it, Hodges. You know what? I'm coming for you personally. I gonna rid the world of one filthy rodent. "

"All right," the voice said bitterly. "If that's the way you want to play it, then how about this? I've got almost two platoons here. You think you can get to me through that, you're welcome to try. But if you fail, then in one hour, I start killing villagers. And I'll kill one every ten minutes until I have the Front in custody. So bring your best, Owen. You'll need it. Hodges, out!"

Owen and Mina looked at each other despairingly for a dark moment. Finally, he said, "He'll be in a fully defensive posture by now. We'll need some serious firepower to punch through. What've we got?"

Mina sighed and shook her head. "We've got nothing. In a direct assault, we wouldn't last half a minute."

Owen did his best to hide his anxiety. "Okay, how about an indirect approach then? What about some magic?"

"Not against two platoons," she answered with frustration. "We're completely outmatched." She zipped open a pouch that hung at her waist and removed a small communicator. "Toby," she said into it. "What's new?"

"Mina," came the response. "Not much—just general fleeing. How about yourself?"

She took a deep breath and gave him her update, carefully explaining the colonel's threats.

* * *

After Mina's explanation, Tobias, Royd, and the others sat in silence, trying to find any ray of hope. They turned in response to a voice at the edge of the clearing. 

"Thank you for trying to save us," Jon said, with Nikolai standing close behind. "But we're out of options, aren't we."

Tobias and Royd looked at each other in silent conference. They turned back toward Jon, their heads nodding with resignation.

Jon addressed the members of the Front. "They bought us a few more hours. A chance to say good-bye." He looked in the eyes of each one individually. "But they can't change our destiny. Our fight ends tonight. And it was a good fight." He turned to the travelers and shook their hands. He stepped a few yards away from the group and said, "The last good thing we can do is make sure that none of our fellow townspeople die because of us. Who's with me?"

One by one, they stepped forward to join him. As Tina moved, the young Maya grabbed her around the waist, crying, "No! I don't want you to go."

Tina, her eyes streaming, knelt and hugged her cousin. "I have to, honey. We all have to do what's right."

She nodded her understanding, allowing Tobias to pull her away. She held his hand tightly.

As Nikolai stepped forward to join Jon, the leader turned to him gravely. "Nikolai, I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?"

Jon took a breath. "The Coalition was only given eight names. They don't know about you."

Nikolai hung his head.

Jon continued. "I need you to use that. I need you to live."

Nikolai looked at him resolutely. "My place is with the Front. Your fate is my fate."

"No, it isn't," Jon disputed. "You're the only one of us with the power to escape this execution. After tonight, _you_ will be the Front. Don't you see? By you living, it means the army will have failed to destroy us. We will still survive. Our dream will still survive."

Nikolai turned away, struggling with his conflicting emotions.

Jon put a hand on his shoulder. "Dying tonight would be the easy way. I need you to take the hard path. I need you to be brave."

Nikolai turned back toward him.

Jon continued. "I need you to promise me that someday, our town will be free."

Nikolai's eyes reflected all of his anger, fear, guilt, and determination. He took a deep breath. "I swear it."

Jon looked hard into his friend's face. They had come so far in such a short time. Finally, he smiled and turned to the others. "Let's go."

* * *

The town square was now an armed camp. Armored soldiers lined the perimeter of the Death's Head Transports. Sky cycles patrolled overhead. Twenty-two SAMAS units formed a wall of death around several hundred villagers, huddling fearfully under harsh lights. 

Bill Turner could feel the tension mounting. For most of the night, there had been only a handful of soldiers here. They'd all been out combing the countryside for the eight youngsters. But now they were all here, in a powerful defensive formation.

They were no longer out searching. Now they were here waiting.

Waiting for what?

Turner sat with the other townspeople, feeling all too vulnerable. Not to mention exhausted and confused.

All was fairly still, until a fully-armored officer emerged from one of the transports. He approached the crowd. "I gave them the ch-ch-choice of _their_ lives or _yours_," his voice echoed through the loudspeakers. "Now you see what traitors are really made of."

He made a gesture, and a soldier stepped into the crowd and grabbed a middle-aged woman. She screamed and struggled.

Several murmurs from one end of the crowd. drew Turner's attention. Looking into the distance, he saw, just entering the field of artificial lights, seven youngsters striding boldly, side-by-side, toward the Death's Heads.

* * *

In short order, they drew an escort of sky cycles and hovercycle riders. A company of foot-soldiers kneeled into defensive positions, weapons aimed at the dissidents, as if they were a fearful threat. Another unit maintained watch on the park perimeter, with assistance from a spider-walker and a giant Enforcer. 

From their hidden position behind the general store, every few moments Royd would issue a curse, his helpless frustration overpowering him. Tobias racked his brains for some last-minute plan that would turn the tables. None came.

As the Front passed the destroyed flour mill and approached the square, the townspeople got to their feet and watched them silently, frankly amazed that they would return. The dissidents were herded to the same spot they'd been the first time the execution was attempted. Several of them started tearing up when they saw Thomas's body already lying there. The firing squad took up its positions.

Jon projected his voice toward the townspeople. "This isn't over," he said. "It's just beginning. Someday, our town _will_ be free."

From a loudspeaker, the voice of Colonel Hodges once again read the criminal charges. Without delay, he issued the firing command. Seven low-powered slug rifles rang out, the sound echoing into the night.

Seven bodies fell.

With military efficiency, the two platoons loaded up and departed, leaving the town of Cobdendale to mourn.

* * *

Tobias, Royd, and Nikolai hiked their way to where the truck was hidden. They joined Mina and Owen, who had gotten there much faster on Owen's hovercycle. Royd started doing basic checks of the tires and engine. Nikolai stood sullenly apart. 

Mina worriedly kept one eye on him. "Toby, " she said. "I've been trying to explain to Owen what adventurers do. I'm afraid tonight wasn't a very good example."

Tobias removed his light armor. "Things don't always turn out the way you want them to." He turned away as he ran a wet rag over his haggard face.

Mina said, "But did we even accomplish anything? I mean, we stopped that first execution, but they all still ended up dead—plus the town is half destroyed and the population had to spend the night in terror. Would we have been better off doing nothing?"

Royd stepped in vehemently. "No. At the first execution, they were just victims." His eyes smoldered. "At the second one, they were heroes."

Mina considered it. "I'm sorry, Royd, but that just doesn't comfort me. Death is death."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but simply shrugged and returned to his inspection.

"Well," Owen said tentatively. "If you hadn't interceded, I'd still be with the Coalition."

She turned to him and smiled. "I suppose that is some good."

Tobias said, "Take it where you can get it."

She looked over at Nikolai again, then went over to him. His face was grim and weary. She gave him a hug. "I know this doesn't help," she said. "But it won't always hurt so much."

He twisted out of her grasp. "How would you know? You don't know what it's like to have your home and everyone you love and everything you are taken from you all at once."

She sighed, glancing over at Owen. She looked Nikolai in the eyes. "Actually, I do."

He met her gaze with surprise.

She said, "I'll tell you about it. And we'll get through this together." She stepped away and opened the back door of the truck. "But first, why don't you get some rest."

He nodded weakly and climbed in.

Tobias leaned against the battered truck and gazed absently. "I think I'll write about them," he said. "The Front. People will know what happened here. People will know who they were. What they did."

"I like that idea," Mina said, returning to the hovercycle. "Toby, I'm going to ride with Owen for a while."

He smiled. "Fine, if you like bugs in your teeth."

Owen mounted the bike, then helped Mina on. "By the way," he said. "Where are we going? How exactly do we find these adventures?"

Mina smiled wryly. "They mostly find us."

Tobias's eyes lit up. "Actually, we are pretty close to a historical site I've always wanted to visit."

Royd grimaced. "Here we go again."

Tobias continued enthusiastically. "Only a few hundred miles from here, there's a great religious center from ancient times. For hundreds of years, pilgrims went there to worship. It was considered very sacred." He thought for a moment. "I believe it was called . . . Graceland."

Royd climbed into the truck muttering, "Hopefully there will be something to fight."

Tobias put the truck in gear, smiling. "I'd be surprised if there wasn't."

* * *

Overcome by sorrow and exhaustion, most of the citizens of Cobdendale stayed home the next day. The planting would have to wait. 

Nine-year-old Maya, however, could not stay in. Her mind struggled to make sense of the awful events of the night. The events that took her cousin from her forever.

She stood at the edge of the ruins of the flour mill. She had seen the giant robot get knocked into it, destroying it. She never knew that there was so much raw power in the world. She couldn't even imagine the strength of whatever had removed the dead robot.

As she gazed at the wreckage, she noticed something unusual. She climbed toward the center of the rubble, her faded coveralls providing a little protection from scrapes. She had to remove several chunks of brick to excavate the strange object. Finally recovering it, she saw that it was a slightly bent construction of cardboard and paper. She opened it to find markings similar to the ones Tobias showed her in the cave. He'd called it a book, and said that it spoke words to him. She flipped through it and saw pictures with giant letters beside them.

"Hey."

She turned to see her two little brothers looking at her curiously.

"Watcha doin'?" one said.

She made her way toward them. She said, "Just thinking."

"I'm bored," the youngest whined. "Ma said you should play with us."

Normally annoyed by this, she had an idea. "Okay," she said, smiling. "How would you like to hear a story?"

"About what?" the oldest asked.

"It's the story of how the Cobdendale Eight gave up their lives to save our town."

The boys' eyes were wide. "Oh."

"And," Maya said, looking down at her book. "We're going to figure out how to work this thing."

They stepped closer. One said, "What is it?"

She ran her finger along the cover reverently and spoke barely above a whisper.

She said, "Magic."

* * *

Bill Turner was caught completely off-guard. 

He was expecting only a dozen people, even though he had told the others that they could invite anyone they thought would be interested. He couldn't believe that there were actually hundreds of people here. Apparently, almost everyone had been affected by the nightmare they were forced to share.

So he had to relocate the gathering from his storeroom to outdoors. The crowd moved over to the park. He looked at the eight bouquets of flowers that marked the spots where those foolish, naive youngsters fell.

He stepped over to the middle one, where Jon had spoken his final words. After being momentarily lost in contemplation, Turner noticed that everyone else was silently watching him. The moment of truth had arrived. He removed the piece of straw from his mouth.

"Fellow citizens," he said, a bit shakily at first, then with growing confidence. "Welcome to our first meeting . . . of the Cobdendale Liberation Front."


End file.
